Adjustable curtain-support.



G. M. THURSTON.

ADJUSTABLE CURTAIN SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1911.

1,025,335. Patented May 7, 1912.

WITNESSES: I INVENTOR W 6.77 77/u/Fs7'oA/ 1/5 Arm/WEE.

a scess.

UNITED STATES ATEN T OFFICE.

CHARLES 1VL THURSTON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ADJUSTABLE CURTAIN-SUPPORT.

10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. THURS- ron, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Curtain-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to adjustable supports for holding curtains, such as lace curtains which are generally hung before windows to give a decorative effect to the room.

The object of the invention is to provide a vertically adjustable support for curtains, which may be lowered when it is desirable to attach or detach a curtain, and which when raised supports the curtain in the desired position in front of the window or other opening.

With this and other objects in view as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel arrangements of parts and features of construction hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the ac companying drawings and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size and minor'details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit of or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Heretofore, whenever it was necessary or desirable to hang or remove lace curtains from their position in front of a window, it has been generally necessary for the person prforming the task to stand upon an elevated structure such as a step-ladder in order to reach the curtain rod or pole. This is generally a rather tedious and hazardous occupation as a step ladder is not a very stable means of support and the work and time required for moving the ladder and ascending and descending the same is very great. In hospitals, especially, where the curtains must be changed after a patient has occupied the room, the time and labor eX- pendecl is very great and is the cause of considerable expense. Other than this, the hazardous nature of the occupation and the liability of injury to the person is such thatit is desirable to obviate the necessity of performing the work from an unsteady position on a step-ladder.

With the use of device of my invention the curtain rod may be lowered to a position where the curtain may be attached or Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 11, 1911.

Patented May '7, 1912.

Serial No. 659,796.

detached readily by a person standing on the floor, thereby obviating all ofthe difficulties mentioned.

Referring to the drawings :-Figure 1 is a view of a window, showing a curtain arranged thereon; the curtain being supported by the device of my invention and being held between its raised and lowered positions. The dotted lines indicate the position of the device and the curtain rod when it is raised to the upper position. Fig. 2 is a side view of the device of my inven tion, parts thereof being broken away to reduce the size of the figure. Fig. 3 is a cross section through the device as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a front view of the device as shown in Fig. 2.

The device which I employ for accomplishing the purposes of my invention consists of a rod 2, which is slidable vertically in the guide 3. In the present embodiment the guide 3 consists of a tube within which the rod 2 slides, but instead of being made in one piece and engaging the rod for almost its entire length when the rod is in the depressed position, the guide may be formed of a plurality of short guides spaced apart vertically and through which the rod passes. The guide tube 8 is seated at its lower end in a socket 4 which is provided with a tongue 5 having a hole therethrough to receive a screw. At its upper end the guide tube is supported by the bracket 6 which is similarly provided with screw holes. Other supporting brackets intermediate the top and bottom of the guide tube may be employed as desired.

The guide tube 3 is provided with a slot 7 extending longitudinally thereof for substantially its entire length, through which passes the shank of the thumb screw 8. The thumb screw engages in the rod 2 and is provided with a head larger in diameter than the width of the slot 7, so that it may be turned to clamp the rod to the guide tube and hold the rod in any desired adjusted position.

The upper end of the rod 2 is curved or bent outward, or forward forming the projecting portion 9 which acts as a means for spacing the curtain rod 12 away from the window casing. This holds the curtain spaced apart from the window casing and prevents the curtain from interfering with the shade and shade roller.

The upper end of the rod 2 is provided with means for engaging and supporting the curtain rod 12. In the present instance I have shown a vertically arranged pin 13 which is adapted to pass through a hole in the curtain rod. here a solid curtain rod is desired a clamp or other holding means may be used in place of the pin.

The devices are used in pairs, one being attached to the window casing or frame at opposite sides of the window. The guide tube and rod are made of such length that when the rod is elevated to its maximum height the curtain is in its proper position and when lowered to its depressed position, the curtain rod is within reach of the person. I have generally found that the length of the rod and tube should be approximately one half the length of the window, although this proportion is varied in windows of different sizes and is also dependent upon the height of the window from the floor 14. By simply loosening the screws 8, the rods 2 may be raised or lowered until the curtain pole is in the desired position. The ordinary window is of such width that a person can readily operate both rods at the same time. a

When the device is used in connection with a Window of considerable length it is evident that when the curtain is raised to its proper position, the rod 2 will extend for a considerable distance from the guide tube 3. The rod being made of comparatively light material and being supported at the bottom only, it may have a tendency to swing or bend which would prove objectionable. To overcome this difliculty I arrange a second slotted guide 15 above the guide 3, which is engaged by a button 16 secured to the rod 2 adjacent its upper end by the shank 17. The button is slidable in the guide 15 and acts to support the rod at its upper end regardless of the position of the curtain.

I claim:

A support for a window curtain rod, comprising a pair of slotted guides arranged vertically on opposite sides of the lower part of the window, slidable rods in said guides adapted to support the curtain rod, a second pair of slotted guides arranged on opposite sides of the upper part of the window, and buttons on said rods engaging and slidable in said upper guides.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, Cal, this sixth day of November, 1911.

CHARLES M. THURSTON.

R. HEFFERNAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

